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APA Style
 
Using APA documentation style, you acknowledge your sources with brief parenthetical citations in the text that refer to a reference list that appears at the end of your paper.

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The Brief Citation:

 

The brief citation in the text looks like this:
On the shelves and table of Poe's room were many books, some classics (Allen, 1996).
 
Or, if you mention the author's name in the sentence, cite like this:
Allen (1996) contends that the shelves and table of Poe's room held many books, some classics.
 
If the author has more than one item on the works cited page, use (Name, Short title, year):
On the shelves and table of Poe's room were many books, some classics (Allen, Israfel, 1996).

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When at all possible, cite factual data (methods & results, a study or review). When citing non-factual data, make it clear in the text, e.g.
  Allen (1996) theorized (or argued, concluded) that....  
 
References in the text from a website:
Shire wrote that the pilots were the most highly trained in the air force (Shire, ¶ 5).
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How to format the References page:
  • Start your references page on a new sheet following your paper.
  • Type the word "References" at the top of the page, centered.
  • Align each new item on the left margin. If the entry is longer than one line, indent the next lines.
  • Use continuous italics from periodical titles through volume numbers
  • Order your list alphabetically. If an entry begins with a number, use the number but place it in the list as if it were spelled out. For example a '4' would be placed where 'four' would be.
  • Make sure you have a reference in your list for every citation in the text.
  • Only include a work in your references list if you cited that work in the text.
  • Double space your list. In MS Word: Go to format > paragraph > select "double for line spacing. 

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References Page - Examples
 
Books
 
Author’s Last name, First name initial. (year). Title of book. City, State of publication:
  Publisher.
 
Senge, P. (1999). The Dance of Change. New York: Doubleday.
 
Hunter, A., & Sexton, J (1999). Contemporary China. New York: St. Martin's Press.

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Articles - journal, newspaper or magazine
 
Author’s last name, First initial. (Year, Month day). Title of article.  Title of Periodical, 
volume number, page numbers.
 
Ide, W. (2001, April 4). For Taiwan, an improved Defense Against China. Christian Science
  Monitor, pp 105-112.
 
O'Hanlon, M. (2000). Why China Cannot Conquer Taiwan. International Security, 25, 51-87.

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Electronic Media - Article from a database
 
Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month item was published). Title of Article. Title of 
Periodical, journal or magazine, Volume number,  Page numbers. Retrieved date 
retrieved Month day, year from Title of database database.
 
Academic Search Premier
 
Hisama, E. M. (2000). Feminist Music Theory into the Millennium: A Personal History. Signs:
  Journal of Women in Culture & Society, 25, 1287. Retrieved April 3, 2002 from Academic
  Search Premier database.

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Biography Resource Center
 
Germaine Greer. (1996). In Feminist Writers. St James Press: Farmington Hills, MI. Retrieved 
  April 4, 2002 from Biography Resource Center database.
 
Business Source Elite
 
Keaveny, T. J., & Inderrieden, E. J. (2000). Gender differences in pay satisfaction and 
  pay expectations. Journal of Managerial Issues, 12, 363. Retrieved April 4, 2002 from 
  Business Source Elite database.

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Criminal Justice Periodicals Index
 
Anonymous. (2001, November 23). Arkansas: women use internet to commit new crimes. 
  Corrections Digest 32, 5. Retrieved April 4, 2002 from Criminal Justice Periodicals Index 
  database.
 
Custom Newspapers
 
Torpy, B. (2001, May 27). Layoffs more challenging for women. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
  A1. Retrieved April 4, 2002 from Custom Newspapers database.

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Health and Wellness Resource Center
 
Sadovsky, R. (2000). Vegetarian Diet Lowers Lipids in Premenopausal Women. American
  Family Physician, 62, 1660. Retrieved April 3, 2002 from Health and Wellness Resource
  Center database.
 
Literature Resource Center
 
Matchie, T. (1989). Love medicine: a female Moby-Dick. The Midwest Quarterly, 30,
  478-91. Retrieved April 4, 2002 from Literature Resource Center database.
 
NewsFile
 
Lipsher, S. (2002, January 2). Women's advocate defies the odds Afghan official battles
  poverty, male culture. The Denver Post, A19. Retrieved April 3, 2002 from NewsFile
  database.

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ebooks
 
Author’s Last name, First name initial. (year). Title of book. City, State of publication:
Publisher. Retrieved Date of Access Month Day, Year from netLibrary database.
 
Reardon, B. (1993). Women and Peace. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
  Retrieved April 3, 2002 from netLibrary database.

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Electronic Publications -  Web Site 
 
Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of web document. Title of online periodical,
vol no. (if applicable). Retrieved Month day, year from URL of web site
 
Epilepsy Foundation. Treating Partial Seizures. Retrieved April 3, 2002 from
  http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/partialseizures/treating.html
 
Tyson, J. How Bios Works. Retrieved April 3, 2002 from http://www.howstuffworks.com/bios.htm

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Electronic Communication
 
Cite personal communications in the text only. They do not go on the References page. Give the initials as well as the last name of the communicator, and provide the date (similar to print).
  Mark Grunder closed his message with a stern warning to those who make war (personal communication, M. Grunder, April 6 2001)

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The above information came from:
 
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (2001). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
 
Ask at the Help Desk  - Call number: BF76.7 .P83 2001 

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